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Car seats: what's to know?

There comes a point when, as a driver, you suddenly become acutely aware that you’re responsible for the safety of your baby in the car. Apart from watching your speed, the best thing you can do is invest in the right car seat.

Child restraints and / or seat belts really can save lives and, by law, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your child is belted up correctly. There are different types, so make sure you get the right one for their age and weight.

Safest family cars

What’s available?

Useful Links
Think Road Safety Government website on car seats Child Car Seats website

There are three main types of child restraint on the market:

Group 0

Group 0 baby seats are rear facing and are designed for children weighing up to 10kg (from birth to roughly six to nine months).
Group 0+ are also rear facing and are designed for children up to 13kg (from birth to roughly 12-15 months).

This kind of seat is designed to provide maximum support for your baby’s head, neck and spine, so keep using it until they exceeds the weight limit or their head is higher than the top of the seat.

Group I

Group I child seats are forward facing and are for children from nine to 18Kg (approximately nine months to four years).

These are like bigger, more upright versions of baby seats, and have an integral Y-shaped harness that fastens between your child’s legs.

Group II/III

Group II/III booster seats or cushions are for children in the range from 15kg to 36kg (approximately four-six years).

These seats have no harness. Their role is to position your child so that the adult seatbelt works properly, with the lap belt worn over the pelvic region and the diagonal belt sitting over the shoulder.

Some booster seats have backs and even side-wings, which can help prevent injury in the event of side impacts; these may be detachable and / or can be adjusted as your child grows.

Easy riders: from boy racer to dad driver

What the law says:

All children must use the correct kind of child restraint or (depending on their age and height) an adult seat belt when travelling in a car.
Children under the age of three in a rear-facing baby seat must not be placed in an airbag-protected front passenger seat, unless the airbag has been deactivated.
Children between the ages of three and 12 must be in an appropriate child seat unless they are more than 135cm tall (about 4ft 5in). Once they turn 12 they can use an adult seat belt, even if they are shorter than this.

The only exceptions to the compulsory use of child seats in private cars are:

If there is an unexpected necessity to transport a child aged three or more in a car without an appropriate child seat. If this is the case, the child should use an adult seatbelt.
If there are already two occupied child restraints in the rear of the car and this prevents the use of a third, in which case a third child may use an adult seat belt if available (and, if not, may travel unrestrained).

NOTE: As the driver, you are legally obliged to ensure that all passengers under the age of 14 wear seat belts; beyond that age it becomes the passenger’s own responsibility.

If you are caught breaking this law you are liable to a £30 fixed penalty notice. If the matter goes to court there is a maximum fine of £500.

Author

Jeremy Davies is a health and social policy journalist / researcher. He writes for the Fatherhood Institute and a variety of national newspapers, magazines and websites, and teaches at the University of Manchester. He has one son.